Victoria Pendleton

imho - yes. seems clear that the game plan was to just make it round. not sure how it works in cycling but thats ort of thing very frowned upon in our sport.

unbelievable. Well done , lady

C4 treating her like she's won.

McCoy and Fitz just telling to hunt around hmmm she could have been encouraged to be a bit closer.

More crowd atmosphere for Victoria getting 4th or 5th than the Gold Cup lol.

She's a fame junkie who can't bare to be out of the spotlight - even if she will end up badly hurt

'fame junkie'...what a d!ck

Fair play for getting round, but the horse was never put into the race until too late.

Any other jockey on any other day, and the stewards would want a word about that.

yes, she's that too!!

just give the lass credit for something you moaners can never do, have a positive outlook to life

Does she now shower with the lads?

she went for the double kiss and only got one kiss on nina great stuff for her to finish 5th.

to be fair she gave him a good ride but I would give Sam Waley Cohen ride of the race as he managed to stay on Paint the clouds probably forgot he was in the race as he bolted into 3rd but fair play he got around

She did better than I thought. Fair play and that but fame junkie is fair comment for anybody that has been on Strictly or similar then does something like this for a reported 200k

reckon those who wanted her to
fail are gutted.

why are you a fame junkie for accepting loads of money for stuff you enjoy and would probably be happy to do for free? if someone gave me a million quid to sit naked on the front row of the Mastermind audience, would that make me a fame junkie if i said yes?

agreed penzance...these saddoes would have loved to have seen the lass get buried

Duncan, naked in front row of the audience or in front of John Hunphries?

penzance    18 Mar 16 16:32 
reckon those who wanted her to
fail are gutted.


Quite ! There would have been a ' feeding frenzy ' on here, if she'd fell off.

Well done Victoria. Brilliant PR for the sport too.

duncan idaho   
why are you a fame junkie for accepting loads of money for stuff you enjoy and would probably be happy to do for free? if someone gave me a million quid to sit naked on the front row of the Mastermind audience, would that make me a fame junkie if i said yes?



Specialist subject - button mushrooms.

£5 million to actually sit in 'the seat' naked...million as prev plus extra £4 mill for having to bone up on some supposed specialist subject

to Spinmaster

Seems that she had the 2nd or 3rd best horse there. She came 5th. She was probably the 10th best rider. She will need to dig deeper and get a lot more experience if she wants a career in the game, as she has said she does. Can't see why she couldn't do it, though.

Absolutely brilliant ride given her inexperience. Fair play to her. The parochial, negative response within NH racing has been truly pitiful imho.

She had never sat on a horse before she was approached so I don't see how it can have been something she enjoyed. Pretty sure ballroom dancing would have been the same.

If you sitting naked involved hours of prime time TV, months of newspaper coverage and PR firms then yes you would be a fame junkie if you had already done similar.

she enjoyed doing the dancing and she's enjoying the riding. And she's got paid for both. You have no argument.

Good publicity for racing.

She did much better than I thought she would;in my view a magnificent achievement so well done to her

johnnyrant

Absolutely spot on.

She has just said on the radio that the horse would have won with a better rider.

Great, so a fortune spent on denying a hoss a festival win?

All about opinions but imo it should be about the races and the horses not some sporting celebrity from another field.
She could have just ridden in a charity race if she really wanted to race. Then you've got good publicity and money for a good cause
and not for some already loaded sportswoman (that we're paying for through commission on here).

When they're talking more about the 5th placed horse than the winner then there's something up.

She only started doing those things after she was approached, with publicity and wads of cash involved. She is far from alone in that. Nothing had stopped her learning to ride or dance before without those things so they were clearly a factor.

Any enjoyment came later as it's impossible to enjoy something you haven't done.

Again, fair play to her.

Can't fault the girl.

If someone approached me and said "take the year off and learn to race ride, if you're good enough, we'll sort you with a ride for Cheltenham. Oh, and here's a hundred grand to keep you going", snatched their hand off doesn't even begin to cover it.

I'm not faulting her. Limelight and money are clearly factors rather than just the love a challenge and olympian spirit etc. Pointing that out doesn't make you d1ck or a saddo.

Wonderful publicity for the sport and it needs it of course.

when people praise her for reaching that standard so fast, she wasnt exactly doing it on horses that would get tailed off in the members at marks tey. she also has a very bland personality compared to Nina who had her great moment devalued by the toadying to victoria. it would have made a far better story to have concentrated on the best women jockey ever to ride in a national hunt race

she wasnt exactly doing it on horses that would get tailed off in the members at marks tey

Nina's not exactly doing it on poor or average horses either is she?

What Pendleton has achieved is remarkable and she deserves all the praise going.

All very well for people to talk about the money etc but plenty have sadly come out of this sport in wheelchairs. There were far easier ways to have stayed in the limelight.

Nina earned the right to get on the good horses, victoria was presented with it. or rose loxton who rode a better race altogather by getting hers placed but didnt get a mention

Isn't Rose Loxton the Trainer of the fourth horse, which was ridden by Mr W Biddick

llamedos how dare you spoil horusisis' rant by pointing out the stupidity of his post.

Pacha Du Polder surely the best horse in the race and would've won with say Carberry or Codd or O'Connor, etc?

Agree. Plan appeared to be to get round only.

shameful

shameful

@SYT

So? The betting public knew what they were getting with Pendleton riding and the horse was priced accordingly.

The horse doesn't care if it won or lost, so no damage done there.

Connections knew what the game was and were clearly happy to be part of the experiment and forgo the prizemoney they might have made with Nina Carberry or Sam W-C riding.

Where's the harm, why the negativity?  Good luck to her.

part of the experiment

Plenty of excellent riders would have killed to be on that horse.

And they would have won.

Hate this celebrity obsession we have in this country.

Nothing against her per se but how many female jockeys who have been riding since the age of 5 would have loved to have had such an opportunity.

I agree longbridge, fair play to her. You get a lot of hard luck stories in the amateur races at Cheltenham (Nina deserved the win anyway as she was very unlucky the other day when Balthazar's King fell). Pacha Du Polder must have been in great form to jump as well as he did and stay despite stamina doubts though.

I cannot stand the celebrity obsession but racing is a minority sport that has benefited from numerous media articles about this lady.She has performed creditably and despite her inexperience we knew she was trying for her life to win,something that can't be said all the time in racing. The one thing that turned me in her favour was how she waited for Nina Carberry to enter the winner's enclosure to go across and congratulate her for winning rather than bask in media attention,she is a class act.

whos to say another rider would've won
on it,it's impossible to say.
As for tomorrows papers the RP have got
the choice to put Don Cosack all over
the front page,which they should do.

I don't think there's any doubt that one of the top amateurs would've won on him, he's only finished beaten 2.5L having finished like he jumped in at the second last fence. Nina is surely worth more than 2.5L to any horse she rides compared with Victoria Pendleton

try 7

Any other support would kill for this level of publicity. Racing is pushed further and further to the fringes of coverage. I can understand that some people might resent the attention and fast track privileges accorded to VP, but they'll be enjoying any positives when she has moved on to her next reality venture. In the end it was the best possessible result. She didn't fall off, she wasn't tailed off after a circuit, and the horse carried her to a decent place without affecting the placings for betting purposes. The horse wouldn't have been a much shorter price of a more experienced rider had ridden it due to serious stamina doubts. No serious punter would have backed it today, and the £2 punters who came in because of the publicity would have enjoyed the race and it may encourage them to come back and watch more racing and bet more. Surely this is all good?  Our do we want interest in the sport to be confined to a declining number of grumpy old blokes in the corner of the betting shop or the forum?

"possible"!!!!

I don't think there's any doubt that one of the top amateurs would've won on him

Whose to say a more competent (and bolder) rider might have used the horses energy up and given a different ride, maybe moving up sooner and going for something that wasn't there, falling or whatever? The ride would have had to have been very similar and maybe somebody else that knows about these things knows batter but I'm pretty sure not many amateurs are known for holding up out the back and coming through horses so whose to say?

Spyker, that's true. Only thing I'd say is given the horse's stamina doubts, the natural way to ride him would be to drop him in. But a more experienced pilot may well have given the horse a more aggressive ride.

The whole thing was a very heavily publicised celebrity exercise.  Promotes the sport beyond its normal audience - which is good.

She gave it a pretty darned good ride. A little cautious maybe, but then if Jamie Spencer holds one up and rattles through late and does/doesn't get there he is a hero/villain.

If she had ridden closer to the pace, or tried to lead, or closed sooner... who knows.  Might have won, might have finished last.  I think it was a great effort - hats off to VP, PN and other supporters.

And anyone that backed it and moans about it, can jump in a lake!  If it had been ridden by a well known/leading amateur, it would have been 4-1 fav. Might have fared better, might not.  It was ridden by a "newbie", which is why it was 28-1 or something... which is why you backed it!!!

I backed Marito to win a nice few
quid in this,he came from miles back.
That's how it goes.

Mar 18, 2016 -- 8:12PM, SoYouThink wrote:

I don't think there's any doubt that one of the top amateurs would've won on him, he's only finished beaten 2.5L having finished like he jumped in at the second last fence. Nina is surely worth more than 2.5L to any horse she rides compared with Victoria Pendleton

The `top amateurs`are they really amateur???They work in the industry,ride horses out most days etc.The point to point riders are closer to amateur as some have other jobs many not connected with racing.VP has done well-did not look out of place.looks like she will carry on-can only be good for ptp and hunter chases and then commercial racing.True there are riders who could have won on the horse but thats not the point-its a race where many of the riders don

Going into the race, I think the vast majority would've said that 5th was a great result.

Many said the horse wouldn't stay (regardless of VP)and as far as I can see she did a great job in conserving the horse's stamina.  She has got to know the horse well, has listened to the instructions and looks like she has carried them out 'text book'.

Make no mistake, finishing 5th to experienced amateurs in their 'Gold Cup' after just a years experience herself is a great sporting achievement and testament to her ability and attitude as a sportswoman.

Jo Brand is interested for next year and Willie Mullins has allegedly stated that she can ride Douvan in the Queen Mother.

I take my hat off to the team behind the lady. She did very well.

"Jo Brand is interested for next year and Willie Mullins has allegedly stated that she can ride Douvan in the Queen Mother."

Brilliant

Good post, Shrews.

There's now talk of trying to get special permission for her to ride in the Aintree Foxhunter next month.

thought amateur's were supposedly  not payed or did she get a lump sum for riding in today's race.

The horse had never before finished within 10L of a winner in 4 starts over more than 2m4
nina's brother himself couldnt have done a better job

Anyone backing the horse at that price needs to consider her lack of experience as a jockey, with a decent rider would have been half the price and would IMHO have won, no doubts about that. She did well to get around, handle the course and amount of other horses, but they are 28/1 for a reason, and that is that she was not up to the task quite yet. Horse deserved better than a marketing exercise but fair play to all concerned, except those that backed her.

Injera    18 Mar 16 18:57 
Plenty of excellent riders would have killed to be on that horse.

And they would have won.

Hate this celebrity obsession we have in this country.

Nothing against her per se but how many female jockeys who have been riding since the age of 5 would have loved to have had such an opportunity.




100% agree.

Some very unfair (and some fair) posts about VP. Let's not forget she was riding a hoss that was not guaranteed to stay so don't be surprised if pumpkin gave her those orders. She gave it a stonking ride imho, has more cojones than many men in the game, and whatever ye think of her 'celebrity status' she achieved a gazillion times more than most on ere (including me) thought she would.. So i say well done VP; balls of steel...

I've bee watching racing over forty years and I'll tell you now she gave that horse a peach of a ride until two out. She saved all the ground going. She sat still and conserved its energy when it put in the occasional sketchy jump and she was calmness personified transmitted to the horse which must have loved ever minute. Till that point two out if that had been Ruby Walsh himself creeping into the race people would have waxed lyrical. Of course she didn't have the skill to ride a top class finish which would have seen her go very close at the end but all in all that was a terrific effort.

She has said herself that another jockey on it could have won the race, which is correct. Feel sorry for anyone who had an each way bet as they should have had a pick up. I chanced a four places lay on betfair thinking it would be easy money,only just got away with it.

In short; she did better than expected as she didn't fall off, but she really could, and should, have achieved a higher placing thanks to being on such a good horse that looked after her.

Oh, and she's also said that she's nowhere near ready to tackle the Aintree Foxhunter, smart girl.

'.........If I'd not had the whip stuck in my breast girth up the run in, I may have even got fourth.......'




Honest admission

I think the achievement by Victoria Pendleton is huge having no previous experience of riding racehorses until the past year or so.

What I find difficult to comprehend is a lesser 'celeb' would have been questioned by the stewards for making too little effort and too late. 

I can accept she has only ridden in two previous races under rules prior to yesterday, and riding a tactical race without that experience was always going to be nigh on impossible.

However if the stewards felt Nina Carberry was worthy of a seven day ban for trying her best to win the race, it does seem crazy that no questions were asked about an exact opposite ride.

Brilliant performance for an inexperienced rider.

might as well go ott as everyone else

she equalled secretariat most iconic moments of horse racing

might as well go ott as everyone else

Please point out the ott posts that everyone else is posting as most seem measured to me - apart from many of the neigh sayers that is.
Who are these jockeys that would have been in for the ride on PDP as so many seem to think and what do they think? Or are they also the ones possibly helping her a bit as well?

".....said that she's nowhere near ready to tackle the Aintree Foxhunter, smart girl."

Wise decision, at this stage I think that would be pushing it too far. Amazing achievement yesterday, and all the media hype very good for racing, imagine what it would have been like if she had actually won. Very pleased she didn't take a tumble. And has a jockey ever got more publicity for finishing 5th ?!

'.........If I'd not had the whip stuck in my breast girth up the run in, I may have even got fourth.......'




Honest admission


It would be nice to see other jockeys admitting when they had made a mistake, maybe she could set a trend here.

For Nina to be outshone in all the papers by a lass finishing 5th says it all.

This wasn't a gymkhana or even a point to point. It was the best NH meeting in the world.


I feel sorry for the lads and lasses who have been mucking out horses for years and would have loved to have had a chance on that horse.

Mar 19, 2016 -- 8:18PM, Injera wrote:

For Nina to be outshone in all the papers by a lass finishing 5th says it all.This wasn't a gymkhana or even a point to point. It was the best NH meeting in the world.I feel sorry for the lads and lasses who have been mucking out horses for years and would have loved to have had a chance on that horse.

The world doesn`t and has never worked like that.She deserved the chance for what she has done in her past.She has the X factor,is something very special ,as is every olymipian gold medalist.Nina may be good but not outstanding in her sport. McCoy and Walsh are outstanding.VP did as the world standard athlete she is as she was told and had a good result.She has brought racing to a new audience which it needs-great idea this project along with other things like the after racing concerts etc.She also realises her limitations,another trait of X factor athletes.She will continue at the ptp/hunter chase level which can only help racing in the competitive entertainment industry.

Nina may be good but not outstanding in her sport.

Agree with most of what you say but not this. If Victoria Pendleton was competing against men in her previous sport, she probably wouldn't even qualify as 'good,' much less 'outstanding.'

Mar 19, 2016 -- 9:04PM, Mikael D'Haguenet wrote:

Nina may be good but not outstanding in her sport.Agree with most of what you say but not this. If Victoria Pendleton was competing against men in her previous sport, she probably wouldn't even qualify as 'good,' much less 'outstanding.'

The male /female thing will always be problem(or is it?) in equesterian events.It is where the sexes of the riders does not matter however the sex of the animal does.You should not distinguish between male /female riders-the sport does not.

If gender isn't a factor, how come there have been barely a handful of decent women jockeys, ever?

Perhaps they are not given the chance -I don`t know.In show jumping it`s more even.In the future female jockeys may well come more to the fore when the rules re hitting horses etc are further refined in the name of animal welfare,

Fair points. To me, though, Nina qualifies as outstanding. Easily the best female, under either code, that we've seen in Britain or Ireland imo.

Yes in the races she is in I do back her and Katie Walsh and even better for making money Gina Andrews.Also have made more than a few bob on SJ Bell and even more on Natilie Hambling-Richard Fahey does give the girls a chance

I agree with everything you say gaz. But I do think Nina is an outstanding rider, imagine if she'd gone the pro route and was riding and improving every day, I think she'd be a match for the very best now. In fact i'm certain of that. That's assuming she'd have got the right opportunities, but I think she'd have made it, although I think her reservations about that is why she didn't take that road in the first place.

Whatever you think about the initial motives, there is no doubt in my mind that VP has fallen for the sport AS A SPORT and the fact that she wanted to be back in the yard yesterday and riding in PTP's at every opportunity when the media circus will have lost interest tells me that she is genuine in wanting to be part of our sport. The telling quote in the paper yesterday to Alan and Lawnie Hill was " you all have so much fun" which was a telling commentary on being in the cycling team.

Ringing Matt to complain about VP

don't think I saw a pic of Nina